Dude, don't go political on this. Still i can't agree with you when you say that you need to rethink the governmental system when some of your rights are being neglected or removed. Your freedom ends there where it infringes the freedom of others. That is THE most important rule of democracy. Another thing is that I see most americans as people that have been spoiled with too much freedom. So if there are ratings that say specifficaly what kind of people have the right to play a certain game, and if the people neglect these ratings then it is only normal that governments would issue laws to make the people obey and act accordingly to these ratings.Or with any other type of media for that matter.

It bubbles down to psychology as when there are certain rules that you should follow which you decide to dismiss you create a feeling, however subtle, that you are above some rules.

One more thing, if you think that the US, one of the most powerful countries of the world, wouldn't even dare to try and take control over the average Joe's behaviour, tastes etc, then you are very much mistaken. 

How can you say don't go political, this is a political issue at its core. And if you read my post I didn't say for this one issue we should rethink government, I said when we get to the point where our government is making our choices for us we should. I have read the entire document I quoted and in it you will find this line as well....

"...Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed...." -United States Declaration of Independence - Preamble

So now, tell me what freedom I am infringing apon for wanting the CHOICE to play a violent video game if I so choose? You most certainly implied that you thought my views would lead to that, so please explain, in detail how I would infringe on your rights by wanting the choice to play a video game. I don't mean this to come of as confrontational, I just cannot fathom how I violate your rights by wanting to have a choice to play a video game in my own home.

This specific quote from your post is actually sort of frightening to me. Why would you want your government to establish ratings systems to determine what you can and cannot view for entertainment? As it stands right now an organization like the ESRB can censor a game by giving it an AO rating, a lot of these games change their content and are then re-submitted but their art(that is the objectionable portion to the game afterall) has been altered because of what someone else thought it should be. Would you tell an artist that you cannot paint that, or you must remove the blood, change its color, etc...

I honestly am not sure what you are trying to say with the first sentence here, but I can tell you that anyone who feels they are above the rules and acts on that feeling would and should be held accountable for their actions. There is no way we are going to prevent people from breaking laws as long as we have laws to be broken, its human nature, if you think otherwise you are very much mistaken (to borrow the phrase ).

On this last sentence, I have to admit this is a very simplistic view of the situation in the US at the moment. But I most certainly recognize that their are elements in my government who would impose such restrictions. As for being "very much mistaken", I think it would of been a safe assumption on your part to assume that I would not have such strong feelings on the matter if I felt that it was not a real concern in my country.

Edi: PS - The most important rule of democracy is actually that the people have the power. The important rule of a free society perhaps would be that one person's rights cannot infringe apon anothers.

To make my views short and sweet, let me put it this way..

• If people take responsibility for their children, then their children will not gain access to games, or any other items they do not wish them to have.
• If people take responsibility for their actions, then they will learn that acting out violence in real life is not only wrong, but will result in harsh punishment.
• If people take the time to teach their children responsibility, then they to will pass this life lesson on to their children, as it will serve them well throughout their lives, not just in avoiding the "temptation" to kill someone because they played a violent video game.

If people just simply take responsibility, then this entire discussion becomes moot.  Because they then realize the problem here is not the video games or guns or knives.  It is people who were never shown how to take responsibility for themselves, and they eventually decide that its everyone else's fault and they lash out.  Thats the one common theme to these so called "video game inspired rampages", its always some kid who is mad at the world because life didn't turn out how he wanted. They even take the time to shuffle the blame for their murder-suicide onto a video game in some suicide letter before they kill themselves! One of their last actions in life is to try and dodge that responsibility one last time.

But they can turn their lives around rather than comit these crimes. As most people know, as long as you are still alive and you can find the will to make a change for the better there is always hope for a better future.  You just have to take the responsibility for the way your life has turned out, because there is only one person who has been with you your whole life, and thats you.

@ Sqrl

My bad on some parts of my last post. When I was talking about freedom infringements I was talking about smoking in bars and was more of a loose catch phrase.

Also I didn't want to impose the impression that governments should establish such laws. I was trying to show what the situation looks like in the US from my point of view. Games don't really have much good press running these days, at least for the politics they don't.

About psychology, it's simple really. If you continuously brake certain rules or laws it becomes natural for you. Therefore even if are obligated to follow those rules/laws you are automaticaly tempted to dismiss them as you have done so before and thin that you are "above them". Hope i made it simple.

I understand what you're saying about having laws to break them and all. It's more than obvious that people are so like that. It boils down to whether the penalties for breaking the law are enough to prevent people from breaking them ;).
I didn't intend for you to understand my words as a current view on the situation in the US. think of it as "overall".

Ratings, bannings and such aside.

I think that as an adult, I have the right to view adult oriented material. I really do not feel that watching a gore movie is any less hurtful to me than controlling a character performing violent acts. Do they desensitize me to violence? Maybe, but I'm certain that if I actually saw someone getting torn to bits with a chainsaw bayonet in real life, I would probably be sick as opposed to cheering "hell yes!" as I did it (like when I play Gears of War).

So yes, I do feel that we should be given the right to choose what we want to listen to, read, watch, and even play. Even if that material may be offensive or disgusting to other people.

 Fair enough, I am glad to see several of these responces, it's inevitable that on a forum the wrong implications or intentions are sometimes given, and it's clear it happened both ways here.

That being said I would still disagree with the psychology issue for two reasons.

1)  I don't think that people of sound mind believe that killing in a game and killing in real life are even close to the same thing.  I have played and enjoyed GTA, and yet I have gone hunting rabbits and in killing them I felt bad about, I can't imagine how much that feeling would multiply for someone who kills another person.  I have no problem with game hunting in general, but its just not my thing.  But for someone to kill another person, and not think about their family, their children, their lives, and those who depended on them, I would submit to you that this person is not of sound mind.  

2) As you mention the potential for punishments that are possibly to leniant, I would say that the problem is a leniant punishment then not a video game.

Taking a step back, it is ok for us to agree to disagree on this issue. I don't expect everyone to agree with me, however I enjoy a good thoughtful debate so as long as it is civil I am more than happy to debate the merits of the issue.   In general, I try to avoid outright conflicts on internet forums, they usually prove quite fruitless.

At 19, maturity should not be an issue.

The problem with violent videogames is not that they can make a healthy mind like yours deranged. The problem is what they can do to an already deranged mind like mine. Unfortunately, you cannot regulate life based on what deviants will do.

I have something to say to you guys that you may find shocking and just crazy, but their were wars and killings before video games. That may have shocked some of you but it needed to be said :P

"In some place", but that's a matter of coherence. In a country where movies like SAW are rated T, so should be games of equal violence.

 While the fact VG is a recent medium can be an explaination in the differences we can see, that not a justification when it comes to laws. Any cultural medium should be treated roughtly the same way.

 The problem here is that a part of the population still do not consider VG as an all ages sectors. To some, it's for youngs, while the truth is that adults represent around 70% of players.

It's more a matter of players, maker, studios and such to get some balls and defend their position, their market, their creations and their freedom.

 And back then it was blamed on rock and roll, and before that it was blamed on jazz music.